Wet wipes are such a big source of plastic pollution in rivers that they are to be targeted for “elimination” by the government.

Millions of the wipes are flushed down UK sewers every week because consumers think they are made of degradable tissue paper. Most, however, are made from polyester, a plastic that takes years to degrade — and then releases millions of tiny fibres into the environment.

Ministers have been slow to act because the wipes, used for cleansing babies and removing make-up, are popular. But the scale of the problem has forced the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to group them with plastic bags as serious environmental hazards.